The Prince of Thieves and the Slave
by Mew Draiku
Summary: [MxR, YMxB, implied Honda x Otogi] Malik, the prince of thieves, frees an albino slave. Yeah, that's it. Don't want to give away any future chapter spoilers. I suck at summaries...really...
1. Encounter

Mew here, and guess what!

Draiku: Just get on with it.

Mew: THIS IS MY VERY FIRST ANGSTSHIPPING STORY! YAY!

Draiku: Congratulations. You must be very proud of yourself.

Mew: I am, actually. Malik x Ryou is so hard to write! It's much easier with the yamis because you can make them be blatant about their crushes, or secret, or even make them just randomly jump on their crush…-continues to rant-

Draiku: Um…right. Let's just get on with the story.

Anonymous –whose name shall be Yoko from now on-: I have a name! Yay! Time to make the disclaimer!

Disclaimer: Mew does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! and if she did, she would be using fifty dollar bills for toilet paper by now.

-

The Prince Of Thieves and the Slave

Chapter 1: Encounter

Malik was an experienced thief from Egypt. He earned a living by stealing from corrupt pharaohs and snotty rich people. He had been a thief all his life, and a very good one at that. Not once had he been caught, or seen. He was the master, the cream of the crop, the best of the best. No one could catch Malik the Prince of Thieves, no one at all. There was only one other who was a better thief than he was: Bakura, the King of Thieves.

If Malik saw something that caught his eye, he would get it, using barely any effort at all. He could steal gold, he could swipe silver, he could snatch gems, and he could pilfer valuable garments of silk. But, there was one thing that he could not, _would_ not take.

Malik had never taken a single life.

Unlike Bakura, the King of Thieves, he had never killed one person. He simply refused to do it. Because of this, he would never get the title of "King". In order to become the king of thieves, he would have to kill without remorse, take a soul for his to keep.

The thieves had a very strict code that most wouldn't guess to exist. There were eight ranks, Lord, King, Prince, Priest, Master, Amateur, Beginner, and Beggar. Anything after Master had only one person for each category. Malik proudly held the title of "Prince", and was content to stay at that level.

There were also certain requirements to get to a new rank. In order to become a Beginner, you had to steal 200 gold items. To get to Amateur, you needed to steal 500 gold items that were embossed with jewels. To become a Master, you would steal 1000 gold items embossed with jewels and take 100 pieces of silver. To get the title of Priest, you must take 500 pieces of silver and 1500 golden items embossed with rare gems. Then you would battle with the previous Priest of Thieves until you would win. To become the Prince, you needed to take 1000 pieces of silver and 2000 golden items embossed with rare gems. Again, you would battle with the previous Prince of Thieves.

Then came the more deadly part of being a thief. To become the king, you needed to do the same things as the Prince and Priest would do added together, then you would have to take 100 lives. To become the Lord you'd have to take 200 lives and the seven Millennium Items, then get the title of "Pharaoh". It was a dangerous business.

Malik loved being a thief, especially a well-known one. It made his life all the more exciting. He was notorious for stripping a person of their golden jewelry in less then five seconds without his victim even knowing. He was also very notorious for being able to strip anyone of their clothes in less than three seconds. This he would do for fun, just to see the look of the person whose clothes were missing as they stood dumbly and nakedly in the crowded streets of Egypt.

While Malik was walking through the desert to his stash of items, wearing his red and blue robe that displayed his rank as a thief, he noticed a man whipping someone with a switch. Malik scowled, obviously hating slavery. He found it stupid, and cruel. He heard a cry of pain and looked to see the victim of the man lying face down in the sand, visibly flinching each time the thin stick came in contact with his or her (Malik couldn't tell,) body.

The owner of the slave then walked off after kicking the slave in the side, cursing the slave. Malik noticed that the slave did not get up. He dropped his collection of new golden objects and hurried towards the slave silently. He knelt down next to the pale-skinned slave, and noticed something quite surprising.

The slave had pure white hair.

It really wasn't a surprise that this person was a slave, although. Most albinos were looked down upon and hated by the majority of Egypt. Bakura was most likely the reason why they were treated so badly, too. He was albino, and most believed that if an albino was born they'd turn out just like the infamous and notorious King of Thieves.

Malik, however, disagreed with this.

He had light colored hair himself, and violet eyes. He was seen as a demon to the people, and obviously treated just as bad as albinos were.

Malik touched the slave's shoulder gently, being careful of the open cuts received from the whipping. The slave awoke slowly.

"Wha-huh?" the slave mumbled, obviously confused.

"Are you alright?" Malik murmured. He could now tell that, despite the slave's appearance, the slave was a male. He had a deep voice and a flat chest, which were sure-enough signs. The slave boy looked at him and gasped.

"Gods…I must be going to the Underworld," he muttered. Malik chuckled quietly.

"I'm not a demon, I'm a human. Just like you. I want to help you," he offered. The boy shook his head.

"Don't. We'll both be killed if you do. My master is famous for his skills with a throwing-stick or a bow and arrow," he whispered.

"So? I'm notorious for being extremely fast and quick-witted." Malik pulled out a small dagger and cut the robes around the slave boy's ankles. He removed what looked like a collar around his neck and threw it aside. "Come with me," Malik said in a soft voice. The boy nodded, and Malik helped him up.

"Thank you so, so much!" the boy said to him, bowing slightly.

"No problem, just come on, before that guy notices. Besides, we have to treat your wounds." The boy nodded again and followed Malik swiftly through the desert. They came upon Malik's bag of newly-thieved items. The Prince of Thieves pulled out a cloak and held it out to Ryou.

"Here, put this on so no one recognizes you, or your hair," he said. The boy pulled the cloak over his body and they hurried through the sand once more until they came upon a cave in the side of a large cliff. Malik led the boy into it until they came to his room. Inside there was a stolen pharaoh's bed, a number of chests which were filled with thieved food and clothing, a leopard skin that acted as a blanket, and another bed with an antelope skin.

"I thought that you were royalty, based on how you were dressed," the former-slave commented softly. Malik chuckled.

"I've gotten that comment before," he said, smiling. "Sit down while I get some herbs for your wounds. What's your name, by the way?"

"I'm Ryou," the boy muttered. Malik blinked, contemplating the odd name.

"And I'm Malik," he said, a bit cautiously. The boy widened his eyes.

"You mean that you're--!" Malik nodded.

"Yeah. Stay right there. We need to dress and heal your cuts." Ryou nodded dumbly, still dazed at the idea that he, a mere slave boy, was speaking with the Prince of Thieves! Everyone in Egypt had heard of Malik, there wasn't anybody who didn't recognize his name.

Malik came back to Ryou with a bundle of leaves in one hand and a long line of cloth in the other. He poured a small amount of water into a wooden bowl and added the leaves to it. He used a thick rod to mash the leaves into a sticky, dark green paste.

"How do you know all this?" Ryou asked as Malik coated the former slave's back with the paste.

"It's just basic first aid. All travelers, thieves, merchants, and bandits know it. It's a necessity," Malik replied in a mutter. "Arms up." Ryou lifted his arms and Malik wrapped the cloth around his torso tightly. He then tied the ends together. "Finished."

"Thank you," Ryou murmured.

"Sure. Need something to eat? You look as if you haven't eaten in days," Malik offered.

"I-if that's alright…" Ryou replied nervously. He didn't want to appear rude in front of this other boy, even if he was starving and would love to stuff himself until he was as fat as a cow.

Malik chuckled quietly, saying, "Of course it is. I'll get you some bread and fruit. You can eat those while I see if I can catch something for meat." He stood up and walked over to a chest, pulling out a large loaf of bread and a basket of dates. In another hand he held a jug of liquid, which was most likely beer. He set them in front of Ryou on a small table.

"Wait here, and if you hear someone that isn't me, don't answer," he advised and pointed to a large rock. "See that? If someone comes, just push that rock a bit. Behind it is a room, and you can just hide in there until I return." Ryou nodded.

"Thank you," he said again, bowing his head. Malik smiled and left swiftly with a spear in one hand.

-

While Ryou was eating a few slices of bread, he heard a loud and happy voice.

"I got lucky! Look at this, Ryou!" Ryou blinked, and finally recognized the voice as Malik's. He walked over to the entrance of the cave and saw Malik with a large antelope behind him. He was dragging it inside, and in his left hand he held his spear, which was coated in blood at the tip.

"Woah," was all Ryou could say. He was quite impressed. At first he thought that Malik wouldn't be able to drag an animal this large to the cave.

"It was crippled, walked with a limp. I'm actually terrible at throwing a spear, but my talent with a bow and arrow makes up for that," he admitted with a shrug. Still, Ryou was impressed. He wouldn't be able to kill an animal, and he definitely wouldn't be able to transport it without help.

"I wouldn't be able to do that in a million years," Ryou mumbled sheepishly. Malik chuckled quietly.

"Sure you would. You've just been working your back off for…I dunno, more than a year, most likely. You haven't gotten the chance to hunt, or have someone teach you. I can help you, if you like," Malik offered.

"You'd do that?" Ryou asked. Malik nodded.

"Sure, after you get your strength up. It helps to have good muscles when you're hunting. Anyway, I'll just skin this, take out the guts, cut the meat into sections, cook it, and then we'll feast." Ryou turned slightly green at the though of Malik tearing out the deceased animal's intestines. Worst of all, the more he thought about it the sicker he got.

"Excuse me," he said, clapping his hand over his mouth and running for the exit of the cave past Malik. The Prince of Thieves blinked, then laughed with amusement.

-

Ryou and Malik were sitting on the antelope's skin, which Malik decided to use as a blanket or a mat. He divided it in half so it was big enough to sit on, and then dried it. Ryou took a bite out of the meat, which had been sitting over a fire for quite a while now, and he was eager to eat.

"So, where are you from?" Malik asked, poking the burning wood with a stick.

"Kul Elna," Ryou replied softly, after a long, silent pause. Malik blinked.

"But that village was destroyed," he said, raising an eyebrow. "I thought that there weren't any survivors." Ryou sighed.

"There were actually about ten. All but one of the ten were taken into slavery," he mumbled.

"Oh? Who was the one that didn't become a slave?" Malik asked.

"Bakura, my twin brother." Malik dropped his piece of meat and stared at Ryou with wide eyes.

"What! You and Bakura are twins!" he exclaimed. Ryou nodded.

"Yes. I've seen him before on many occasions, even as a slave," he said, averting Malik's stunned gaze. "Last I heard from him was a month ago."

"Then why were you still a slave?" Ryou sighed again, sadly.

"He wouldn't help me. I begged him to free me, but he just laughed, called me 'weakling', and kicked sand in my face."

"That…that's horrible," Malik muttered, shaking his head slowly in disbelief. Ryou nodded.

"He never really liked me. He believes that, since he is the elder of us, he is the better. I was actually born ill, and that's the reason why I'm so weak." He suddenly laughed bitterly. "He is better than I am. He is a king, after all, while I'm just a pitiful slave."

"Don't say that about yourself!" Malik snapped, suddenly aggressive. "Never, ever say that again." Ryou shuddered at Malik's violent change of mood.

"B-but it's true." Malik suddenly grabbed Ryou by the shoulders and glared into his eyes.

"No, it is not. I know that anyone, no matter what they were in the past, is something great. They just have to discover their talents and hone them until they can master them. I would know." Ryou quivered fearfully. He dared to ask Malik a simple question.

"H-how?" Malik let his grip on Ryou's shoulders drop and he looked into the fire intently.

"I used to be a slave, also. Because of my hair and my eyes. My brother, who's now the King of Bandits, also was a slave. We encouraged each other to become who we are now, and I think that you just need a little push. And I'm willing to help you." Ryou stared at him.

"Y-you, the Prince of Thieves, were a slave?" he asked. Malik nodded.

"Yeah. And look at me now. Hard to believe, eh?" he said, smiling slightly at Ryou. Ryou smiled back, happy that he and Malik shared something in common. They sat in silence, staring at either the night sky or the fire.

"What's your brother's name?" Ryou suddenly asked.

"Oh yeah, he never tells it to anyone to stay safe. His name's Marik," Malik replied.

"And he's the King of Bandits?" Malik nodded again.

"Yup."

"But aren't bandits thieves?"

"Kind of. Both steal, but bandits attack their victims and then take their possessions. Thieves usually stay on the silent side," Malik explained. "And bandits usually ride horses. Thieves go on foot most of the time."

"Oh. I see." Again, they sat noiselessly, the only sound being the crackling of the fire.

"We'd better get back inside. It's late," Malik said, breaking the silence. Ryou nodded and they gathered up the skins, dowsed the fire, and buried the leftovers so the predators of the desert wouldn't come near.

TBC

Mew: I know, crappy ending for this chapter. Sheesh, I stink at endings.

Draiku: Yes, you do.

Yoko: Please R&R, everyone! We're actually kind of expecting flames…


	2. An Unexpected Visitor

Mew: Hello again! Yay! It's a chapter story and not just a oneshot! My first ever, too!

Draiku: Are you an idiot? Just shut up and get on with the story!

Yoko: That's not very nice, Draiku.

Draiku: -pouts-

Mew: Oh, and thanks to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter! –cheers to them- I'm sorry if I couldn't reply to them, I got grounded just because I tried bonsai on one of my dad's plants. Long story. You don't want to hear it.

Yoko: Time for the disclaimer. What fun.

Disclaimer: Mew, Draiku, and Yoko do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. If they did, it would be rated 'R' and would be much, much yaoi-er.

-

The Prince of Thieves and the Slave

Chapter 2: An Unexpected Visitor

Malik was awoken by the sounds of a hawk screeching inside his cave. He grumbled, guessing that it had followed its prey here, and sat up in the bed. He quickly pulled on his linens and his robe, wondering if he should shoo the bird away or use it for meat.

He found the intruding hawk and eyed it thoughtfully. It landed every once in a while, but when it did, it landed lopsided. Then Malik saw that it was missing one claw on its left foot. Another thing odd about it was that there was a small necklace around its neck, which looked like gold. The necklace had a small pendant that was an Egyptian letter "M".

Malik suddenly grinned. He held out his arm and the hawk jumped on it, its talons not piercing his skin thanks to the thick material he was clad in. He hurried out to the entrance of the cave, and uttered a single word when he saw what he had expected.

"Marik!"

In front of him, wearing stolen foreign clothing and a red bandanna across his forehead, stood his spiky-haired brother with a smirk on his face. He did not wear a robe, but pants, which were apparently popular in the north. His vest was green, and showed off his chest and muscular abdomen. Marik most likely didn't want to button it up. He wore no shoes, though around his ankles were golden rings and bands, each seemed to be a larger copy of the ones on his wrists. He wore one earring of feathers on his left ear, and a necklace with a golden leopard claw on it. The hawk flew from Malik's arm to his shoulder, which was protected with leather pads.

"Greetings, younger brother. I hope that everything has been great for you," he said, pulling Malik into a warm hug. Malik grinned and hugged him back.

"You, too." They pulled away, Marik keeping Malik an arm's length from his body.

"You've grown quite a bit since I last saw you. Eating well, I hope?" he said.

"Yup. With that last downpour a few weeks ago, the crops have been quite plentiful. And of course, that means that I can steal as much as I like," he said with a smirk. Marik chuckled. "How have you been? Did you ride long?" He asked, seeing Marik's black horse standing in the shade of the cave.

"I've been great. There have been more traveling merchants than ever, and my band of bandits has just gotten better. Not bigger, but better. And, no, I didn't ride here at all," he said, then his grin faded to a frown.

"What's wrong?" Malik asked. Marik led him over to his horse, and Malik saw that it had a huge infected wound on its thigh. "How'd that happen?" Malik wondered to himself.

"While I was circling a cart filled with golden merchandise, the owner of it fought back. He threw a spear at me, but it went too low and hit my horse instead. I barely know anything of first aid for animals, neither do any of my men, so I was wondering if you would," he explained.

"I see. Who's in charge of your band at the moment, while you're gone?" Malik asked.

"Believe it or not, but Bakura the King of Thieves is. He came to us injured, so since we treated his wound he offered to look after the men while I was gone. He can't walk or anything at the moment, so he won't be able to steal anything," Marik said.

"Why him?" Malik asked.

"I trust him a lot, more than some of my men, even."

"Oh, I see," Malik said, glaring very slightly. Marik noticed this.

"You okay?" he asked. Malik nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine, but did you know that Bakura's brother is here?" he asked. Marik blinked.

"Seriously? Bakura was talking about him. He seemed…actually, he was quite worried about Ryou. He ranted about something like being 'so cruel' and 'not deserving of him'," he said. "Does he look like Bakura, of any chance?" Malik nodded.

"Yeah, with longer hair, although. Anyway, let's see to your horse." They walked over to the animal, Marik stroking its snout as if to calm it. The horse looked at Malik warily when the boy examined the wound on its leg, but was otherwise still. "Well, it's not very deep, which is good, but since it's infected it will take longer to heal."

"About how long?" Malik shrugged.

"I'd say about three weeks or so. Four weeks at the most, three at the least. I'll see what I can do." He and Marik led the horse into the cave and Malik got out a bowl of paste. He first used a dagger to remove the infected flesh, then he smeared the sticky concoction over it. He then rubbed another mixture onto the wound and bandaged it up.

"He shouldn't run, and we'll have to keep him tied up, so we can examine the wound closely," Malik said. "You're welcome to stay until his leg's healed."

"Thank you, I'd appreciate that. I'll have to send a message to my men to let them know that I'll be gone longer than expected." He got some papyrus out of the pack on his thigh and painted a short message on it. Using a string, he tied the scroll to his hawk's leg and told it to go to the clan. The hawk took wing and flew into the distance, becoming a mere speck after just a few minutes.

"You trained him to understand you?" Malik asked. Marik nodded.

"Only a few words. His job is only to send and bring back messages. Thankfully, he trusts all of the men, so no matter who sends the message he'll listen."

"Wow." Marik tied his horse to an upright rock in the cave and put a bowl of water in front of it. The steed slurped up the liquid gratefully.

The two brothers had a short breakfast while they waited for Ryou to awake. They chatted about various things, such as the weather (this topic was quickly dropped because the weather hadn't changed much), big "hits", and their family.

"How do you think Rishid is doing?" Marik brought up. Malik shrugged.

"I'm sure that he's fine. Scribes are paid well, after all," he said.

"Ooh, that reminds me. Isis is one of the most respected people in all of Egypt. She just recently became a priestess on the pharaoh's court. She even got one of those Millennium Items. I believe that it was the necklace," Marik said, smiling.

"Seriously? How do you know?" Malik asked. Marik chuckled quietly.

"Just a week ago I was raiding carts. My band and I were attacking one when suddenly, Isis stepped out of the cart and greeted me. Apparently she had seen us coming with the necklace, and wasn't worried at all. I called off the attack, of course."

"Amazing. So she can really tell the future now?" Marik laughed, thinking of Isis' previous job as a fortune teller. He nodded.

"Yeah. How else would she have seen my men and I coming? We were perfectly hidden, so she wouldn't have seen us from afar." The two laughed, each remembering the incident in which they told her that her so-called fortune telling would never get her anywhere.

"Of course, this probably means that, since I'm the Prince of Thieves, they won't let me near her," Malik said with a grin.

"Oh, yeah, you have a system similar to ours. Is it possible to jump from the Prince to the Lord?" Marik asked.

"I think that, as long as you steal the seven Millennium Items and take the throne, then you become the Lord of Thieves no matter what level you're already at. I think that the only level that isn't allowed to do that is Beggar, which is the first, by the way." Marik nodded.

"First level for bandits is Tramp. The next one would be Beginner, then Amateur, Master, and Assistant. The next ones, which are Advisor (which usually works with the Prince of Bandits or the King), Prince, King, and God, have only one person per position. So far no one's made it to the top level of God."

"What do you have to do to become the God of Bandits?" Malik asked.

"You need to steal from ten-thousand carts, and then you need to get at least one of the Millennium Items. If I had attacked Isis and stole her necklace, I'd be the God of Bandits, actually," Marik said with a shrug.

"But you didn't because she's your sister, I hope, and not because you wanted a cooler Millennium Item," Malik said. Marik laughed.

"Yes, but I believe that the Millennium Rod is the best. There've been rumors that you can control minds with it," he said with a grin.

"I believe you. Those golden things can do anything. I'd better check up on Ryou. He's been asleep for a while now." Malik stood and went to his room to see Ryou sound asleep on the bed. Even he had to admit that, though he was a boy, Ryou looked cute while he slept.

Malik smiled and watched the boy sleep with acute interest. Ryou made a slight moaning noise and turned over in his sleep, facing Malik.

Malik blinked, realizing that Ryou was almost awake. The pale boy opened his chocolate-brown eyes lazily, gazing at Malik through half-opened eyes.

"G'morning, Malik," he slurred sleepily.

"Actually, it's 'good afternoon'. You slept past the sun's zenith," Malik said with a slight chuckle.

"Oh. Sorry," Ryou said apologetically.

"It's alright. You must be exhausted, anyway," he said.

"Yeah, kind of. What's going on?" Ryou asked.

"My brother's here. He'll be staying here for a while his horse's leg heals," Malik replied.

"Okay," Ryou said and sat up in the bed. He yawned and stretched. "I haven't gotten a good sleep for years," he muttered.

"How long have you been a slave, anyway?" Malik wondered.

"Six years," Ryou said softly. "I'm sixteen now, so I became one when I was ten."

"Really? I thought that you were younger. I'm sixteen, also," Malik said. "Anyway, would you like to meet my brother? He's just outside." Ryou nodded.

"Sure, why not?" Malik gave Ryou some clothing to wear, which were a pure white robe from a foreign land, a long shirt to go under it, a white kilt, and a pair of sandals. Ryou thanked the thief and followed him out to the King of Bandits.

Ryou blinked when he saw Marik. He thought that the man was dressed up quite strangely, for a person of Egypt. He looked totally foreign, especially his hair.

"Ah, so this is the infamous Bakura's brother? I knew that they'd look alike!" Marik said and greeted Ryou with a bow. "Marik, King of Bandits, at your service." Ryou bowed back.

"It's a pleasure and an honor to meet you, Marik," he said, smiling.

"Bakura's told me about you, lots, I might add," Marik said, straightening up.

"You know my brother?" Ryou asked, blinking. Marik nodded.

"Yes, he's been staying with my band and I for the last few days. He was injured when we met him. He also requested that, if I would run into you, that I apologize for him. He says that he's sorry, and that he wishes that he would've freed you the first chance he got," he said. Ryou gasped.

"He—he did?" he stuttered.

"Yeah."

"C-could you tell him that I forgive him? And that I hope to see him again some day?" he asked.

"Of course. I'll do that first thing when I return to my band," Marik replied.

"Thank you," Ryou murmured, wiping a stray tear from his eye with the back of his hand.

"Is anyone hungry? It's almost time for lunch," Malik suggested.

"Sure," Marik and Ryou said.

Malik got out the jug of beer, two loaves of bread, some dried, leftover meat from the antelope he had with Ryou the day before, and some dates. He walked over to a cage and blinked, suddenly grinning.

"Yes!" he hissed. He opened the cage and took out the duck that resided in it carefully, stroking its feathers so it wouldn't scratch him. He tied a small piece of string to its foot and then tied it to a bar on the cage. Inside, tucked in a soft piece of cloth, were three eggs. He carefully took them out, then put the duck back inside.

Malik carried the items in a basket to where Marik and Ryou were sitting, chatting softly.

"That duck I captured finally laid eggs. So we'll have those today," he said with a grin.

"Haven't had those in a while," Marik said. "I've been too busy with my band to capture a duck or something."

"I haven't ever had eggs. No one in Kul Elna owned a duck, and my old master only gave me bread and water," Ryou said.

"Well, you'd better like these, because that duck rarely lays eggs," Malik said. He took out a clay pan and a few plates.

"Thanks," Marik said, taking a handful of dates from the basket and putting them on his plate. Malik also set goblets in front of each of them and poured some beer into each.

As they were eating, Marik suddenly got an idea. He held up his goblet.

"I propose a toast," he said.

"Oh, really?" Malik said, knowing that Marik's toasts were usually a little stupid.

"To what?" Ryou asked. Marik paused.

"To…um…something. I dunno. I just wanted to say that because I haven't said it in so long," Marik said dumbly.

"Well…then let's make up something to toast to," Malik suggested with a snicker.

"The gods?" Ryou suggested.

"Nah, we pray to them enough," Marik said.

"Then how about food?" Malik said.

"No, it's important, but not all food tastes good, you know?" Marik explained.

"I know!" Ryou said.

"What is it?" Malik and Marik asked at the same time.

"I propose a toast to…freedom. If it weren't for freedom, we wouldn't be here at the moment. To freedom?" They clinked their goblets together.

"To freedom!"

TBC

Mew: What a strange way to end a chapter. Oh well, it kind of makes sense.

Draiku: Unlike you.

Yoko: Please R&R! Mew needs suggestions for the next chapter, kind of badly.


	3. Gambling

Mew: YAAAAAAY! Chapter three is up! This is such a big accomplishment!

Draiku: -yawn- Not really. I've seen stories with 20 or more chapters.

Mew: Shut up. It's big for me. Anyway, thanks to all the super-mega-ultimate-awesome-incredible-spectacular-wonderful-terrific-superb-remarkable-outstanding-splendid-admireable-delightful-fantastic-astonishing people who reviewed the last chapter! –needs a better thesaurus- There aren't enough words to describe how great those who reviewed are!

Draiku: You're gonna scare them. You sound kind of like a stalker.

Mew: -pause- If I was a stalker, I'd follow their every movements…-continues to rant-

Draiku: Yoko…

Yoko: Oh, alright…

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh does not belong to Mew, Draiku, or I. If we owned it, the show would be on the block list of every parent in the parental control section of the TV.

-

The Prince of Thieves and the Slave

Chapter 3: Gambling

Ryou awoke early the next morning, smiling at the feeling of a full belly. He hadn't been this stuffed in years. Happily, he sat up in the bed and stretched, yawning sleepily. He looked to his right and saw Malik, still sleeping on the bed, and on his left was Marik, sleeping on a new bed that Malik had stolen for the occasion.

He stood, stretching again. He decided that it would be okay if he took a bath in the Nile, since the two brothers were asleep. He left the cave and went to the shores of the river, which was only a few hundred paces away. Removing his clothing, he stepped into the water and relaxed in it. He bathed himself, wondering when the last time he had the opportunity to take a bath was.

Malik awoke drowsily. He had stayed awake until late in the night thieving foods and supplies that he'd need, now that he had two more people staying with him at the moment. He looked to Ryou, expecting to see the boy asleep, but instead, the bed was empty. Gasping, he got up and ran through the cave.

"Ryou?" he said loudly. "Ryou?" He hurried to the mouth of the cave. "Ryou!" he yelled. He heard a faint voice and ran towards it. Finally, he came upon Ryou, who was bathing in the Nile River.

"Oh, thank goodness," Malik muttered to himself. "Ryou," he called again. Ryou gasped and flicked around, seeing Malik. He yelped in embarrassment and dived under the water, hiding his body so only his head was peeking out. Malik chuckled at this.

"I-I'm bathing, Malik! Can't I have a little privacy?" Ryou whined.

"Hey, it's not my fault. You were the one who left. Anyway, I'm glad that you're safe. You shouldn't leave without telling me, or leaving a note. You're ex-owner could be searching for you," Malik said logically. Ryou frowned, even more embarrassed.

"I…didn't want to wake you up," he said.

"Then you could've written a note," Malik pointed out.

"I-I don't know how to read, or write," Ryou admitted, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Oh. I see," Malik said. "Well, then, you want me to teach you?" Ryou looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You would?" he asked, dumbfounded. Malik smiled.

"Of course I would. We can start as soon as possible, if you wish," he replied.

"Thank you!" Ryou said happily.

"No problem. You finish up your bath and we'll have breakfast," Malik said, leaving Ryou to bathe.

-

Ryou finally finished bathing. He got dressed and found Marik and Malik looking through some old scrolls.

"Ah, you're finished," Malik said, upon Ryou's arrival. "Marik and I were just looking for a list of letters for you to copy."

"Really? You don't have to do all this for me, honestly," Ryou said, embarrassed.

"Oh, come now, Ryou. It's very handy to know how to read and write your own language. So we're going to teach you until you perfect it," Marik said. "Ah! Found it!" He pulled out a scroll, bound with a piece of string. He unrolled it and looked on the inside. He held it up to Ryou.

"Tell me if you know any of these," Marik said. Ryou stared at each symbol intently. He pointed at one shaped like an owl.

"That one. I think that it means 'M,'" he said.

"Any others?" Malik asked. Ryou shook his head, a bit shamefully. Malik recognized his expression. "Hey, don't worry about it," he said, putting an arm around Ryou's shoulders to comfort him. "I've only known how to read and write for a little over a year. And I had to teach myself. You'll definitely learn faster than me." Ryou smiled slightly.

"Thank you," he murmured.

"Anyway, let's start with the basics. This hawk-shaped one makes a sound like 'ah', this next one means--." Malik was cut off by a gasp of fear from Marik. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I heard something. It sounded like voices," he muttered. "Ryou, stay here while we investigate." Ryou nodded and the two tanned brothers hurried out of the cave. They gasped, and to their surprise, saw a huge ship carrying tons of crazy, barbaric looking people.

"Sea bandits!" Marik exclaimed.

"Oh, gods. You're kidding me," Malik hissed. Marik snarled.

"They're the mortal enemies of all normal bandits. They're absolutely insane, too. They go out to sea because they can't stand living on land. They go where they're not meant to go, steal what they're not meant to steal, kill for no reason. We'll have to confront them. I hear that they can smell your fear," Marik growled. Malik gulped. He was probably reeking with the stench of fear at the moment, he had never encountered a sea bandit once in his life, and from what he heard they would suddenly snap and kill you.

One of the sea bandits atop a tall mast yelled something foreign and pointed at them.

"They see us!" Malik gasped out. The ship landed and they came walking over to the two calmly. Malik began to sweat. His heart beat sped up. He was so afraid that he thought that he'd faint dead away. But he had to act brave, or he might lose his life.

A young one with green eyes and a ponytail was in front of all the men. He seemed to be the leader, despite his age. He had a tattoo under his eye that was a simple blade-shaped arrow, and he wore earrings. Unlike most of the others, he was clean and shaven, and his teeth were white. He wore a red bandana around his forehead that was decorated with black diamonds. He was clad in a blue vest, pants similar to Marik's, and wore large boots. He had many bracelets and a necklace of feathers, and, like Marik, let his chest show. His upper torso had a tattoo of two curved blades arranged in a "X" pattern right in the middle of his chest, right below his neck. There were more tattoos of fearsome symbols, such as an upside-down star in a circle and what looked like an ankh without the loop, except upside-down, like the star.

He spoke in a language that Malik and Marik could not interpret. The sea bandit noticed their confusion and called to one of the men behind him. Marik blinked and muttered to Malik.

"He just asked someone named Honda which country this is. That must be Honda."

The bandit-king pointed at a man with brown eyes and a strange hair cut, which looked like a shark's fin. He wore many golden and silver necklaces, a vest, and pants. He wore no shoes, unlike the leader. Though most of his chest was bandaged, Marik and Malik could tell that he had that same circled upside-down star tattoo as the leader. He wore leather bracelets on his wrists and golden ones on his ankles.

"How did you know what he said?" Malik hissed back to Marik.

"I can understand a few words in various languages. It's handy while you're attacking a foreign cart," Marik whispered with a forced smile.

The sea bandit suddenly bowed.

"Greetings," he said in the Egyptian tongue, "I am Ryuuji Otogi, king of pirates." He looked up at them and grinned, showing off his sharp-looking canines. (Okay…I don't know if pirates were really around back then, but…um…just don't sue me, okay? –blush-)

"You speak our language!" Malik exclaimed. He had expected these men to growl and bark like beasts from what he had heard.

"Of course I do. I have to understand many different languages in order to communicate with the people we capture and use as ransom," he said, standing. "This is Honda, my first mate. Key word; mate." He winked suggestively and Honda blushed wildly. The men behind him laughed heartily. Otogi laughed himself.

"Anyway, who might you two be?"

"Wait," Marik said. "What are pirates?"

"Why, we're pirates! Judging by your appearance, you're a land pirate, not a farmer or whatever," Otogi said.

"I do not go by the term 'land pirate', I go by 'king of bandits', thank you very much," Marik said, sticking out his jaw.

"Ah, I see. A thousand apologies. So, what exactly do bandits do, if you don't mind me asking, you're majesty?" Otogi said.

"Well, bandits attack and steal from traveling carts. And pirates, what do you do?" Marik replied.

"We attack and steal from traveling ships," Otogi said, shrugging. "I don't see why you should be offended that I call you a land pirate. We do the exact same thing, just on different areas of the world."

"Actually, we're quite different. For one thing, bandits are respectable, merciful people. Pirates, from what I've heard, are barbaric, rude, and kill without remorse, then they throw leave the bodies on the enemy ship or whatever and leave them to rot," Marik growled. Otogi looked offended.

"Really? Well, from what I've heard about bandits, you people are disgusting, flea-ridden, cowards!" he countered. Malik decided to step in.

"How about we just say that pirates and bandits are exactly the same, except bandits steal from people on land while pirates go to sea and steal?" he suggested.

"Yes, I agree," Honda said.

"Alright," Otogi and Marik said at the same time. They shook hands.

"I apologize for insulting you, Ryuuji," Marik said.

"And I apologize for offending you, Marik," Otogi replied.

"I accept your apology."

"And I accept yours." Otogi turned to Malik. "So, who are you? We've met this bandit over here already. Are you brothers?"

"Yes," Malik said, nodding once. "My name is Malik, prince of thieves."

"Ah, lucky day! We've met two brothers of royal blood!" Malik blushed, embarrassed from all the attention he was receiving.

"So, why have you stopped here?" Marik asked, looking to Otogi.

"We needed supplies. Herbs, food, fresh water, the usual. Poor Honda was cut in a saber fight with one of the men we were attacking a few nights ago," Otogi said, looking to Honda sympathetically.

"It's only a minor wound, no need to worry about it," Honda insisted.

"Ah, I can treat that. Easy," Malik said with a smile. "If you would like to, I could take you and your men back to my home where you can camp."

"That would be great, Malik," Otogi said. They followed Marik and Malik back to his home. Though it was close, they seemed parched.

"I guess that they're not used to the desert," Marik muttered. Malik nodded in agreement. Soon, they came upon the cave. Ryou was standing at the entrance, looking worried.

"Malik? What took you so long? I thought that you were just going to investigate!" he said, hurrying over.

"Ah…got caught up in conversation, I suppose," Malik said with a shrug. Ryou noticed the tons of men walking towards him and his eyes widened.

"Wh-who are they!" he stuttered nervously.

"Pirates. Don't worry, they're friends," Marik said, gesturing at Marik, who was deeply conversing with Otogi. Otogi looked up and noticed Ryou. He smirked slightly and walked up to him.

"Ah, who is this rare beauty? Your lover, Malik, I suspect? She's quite pretty," he said, bowing to Ryou and taking his hand, kissing it. Ryou gasped and blushed. Malik blushed himself.

"R-Ryuuji, Ryou's a boy," he stuttered. "And he isn't my lover."

"Oh. A thousand apologies, Ryou. Your long hair threw me off," Otogi said, scratching the back of his head nervously. Ryou was still embarrassed, though. Marik thought that this was quite amusing, and he laughed.

"Maybe I should cut my hair?" Ryou whispered to Malik.

"Nah, you'd look strange," Malik whispered back. "Anyway, Honda, come with me so I can heal your wounds." Honda nodded, thanking him. He followed Malik into the cave. Otogi went back to Marik.

"Hey…" Marik said, noticing something in Otogi's hand. "What is that?"

"This?" Otogi said, holding up a wooden cube with black paint on the sides. "I call it a die. Two of them are called dice. It is the ultimate gambling tool." He handed it to Marik and the bandit looked it over.

"I don't see how this could be a tool for gambling," he muttered.

"Well," Otogi said. He pointed at the dots on one side. "On each side of this there are a different number of dots, from one through six. If you roll it, whoever rolls highest or calls the right number that shows on the top wins."

"Oh, I see. Where did you get it?"

"I invented it. My men were tired of gambling with coins and such, so I made this. You can have it, if you like."

"Really? Thanks, Ryuuji," Marik said, looking over the die.

"Wanna gamble, then?" Otogi asked. Marik smirked.

"Who do you think I am?" Marik found a piece of wood in Malik's home and brought it out to use as a flat surface, rather than the sand. He took off one of his golden bracelets and set it on one end of the wood, while Otogi sat a silver pendant attached to a golden chain on the other.

"Whoever guesses the correct number on the top side of the die wins both," Otogi said. Marik nodded.

"I'll say three," he said.

"And I'll say five." Marik dropped the die onto the wood. It landed up on four. "We roll again," Otogi said. They rolled again and again, until finally, it came up as three. Marik grinned. He took both pieces of jewelry from the table and set it in a pile next to him. Otogi took off a ring with a dark-blue stone embedded in the top of it from his finger, and Marik took off a thin bronze bracelet.

"Odd, or even?" he asked.

"Odd," Otogi replied.

"Then I'll say even." They rolled the dice, it came up as five. Otogi grinned, collecting his winnings. They continued to gamble, Ryou watching with acute interest, until Marik decided that they should quit before they had to strip down. Marik ended up with the most items won, and he grinned to himself happily, putting them on.

"I think that I'll become a helpless gambling addict thanks to your die," he said. Otogi laughed.

"Okay, Honda's back," Malik said, walking over to Otogi and Marik. "Eh? Why do you have more jewelry?" he asked, looking at Marik.

"And why do you have less?" Honda asked Otogi.

"We were gambling," they replied simply.

"Oh. I see," Malik said.

"Ooh! Otogi, remember when we gambled off our clothes to each other!" Honda said with a grin.

"How could I forget? You had nothing left to wear but a single necklace, dear," Otogi replied, grinning back. "It was good that you won them back before we could raid that next ship." Marik fell over laughing at the image of Honda jumping onto a boat attacking enemies without any clothes. Otogi looked to his men. He saw that they had rolled out thin cushions and blankets and were asleep already.

"They must have been exhausted to fall asleep so early," Marik said.

"Probably," Otogi replied.

"We'll help you load your ship with supplies tomorrow, if you like, so you can rest today," Malik said.

"Thank you, Malik. I appreciate it," Otogi said, smiling gratefully.

TBC

Mew: Yay! Finished with chapter three! I worked on this one non-stop till… -looks at clock- 11:47 at night. Now I'm sleepy. –yawns-

Draiku: This chapter seemed pointless. And the title makes no sense!

Mew: Yes, it did seem a little pointless, but it will lead up to events later in the story (or at least it should…).

Yoko: Please R&R guys (but you're most likely all girls reading this…right?)! Mew gets energy from them!


	4. Departures

Mew: Yay! Chapter 4! –dances like a moron-

Draiku: … -ignores everyone-

Mew: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I hope that I replied to all of you! Oh, and there's a link to a picture of Marik as the king of bandits on my profile, if anyone's interested. And, yes, I drew it.

And sorry that this took so long to post. I have no clue how long it took, but it seemed like a long time to me. Hopefully I didn't make you guys wait too long.

Yoko: Time for the disclaimer and such. Ugh, I feel so useless…

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I wish that I did, though. –cries-

The Prince of Thieves and the Slave

Chapter 4: Departures

Malik came back from stealing with a huge bag of fruits and vegetables. He set it onto the ground with a grunt. Marik noticed and walked over. He hefted the sack.

"Sheesh, Malik. This is light. I don't see why you should struggle with it," he said. Malik shot him a half-glare.

"Well, unlike you, thieves don't rely on brute force to feed themselves," he replied in a huff. Marik laughed.

"Now you have to go get beer," he said. Malik groaned.

"You're coming with me," he said, jabbing Marik in the chest with a finger. Marik chuckled at him.

"Fine, fine. I'll come with you," he said. Malik walked over to Ryou, who was chatting with Otogi and Honda.

"Marik and I are going to get some beer for these guys. Do you mind?" he asked. Ryou shook his head.

"No, not at all. Good luck," he replied. Malik smiled and followed Marik towards town. It was still quite early in the day, so they walked. They had plenty of time.

"Apparently, there's some guy who has a ton of beer stored away. We'll go to his place and take as much as we can. He won't even notice," Marik stated. Malik chuckled.

"Oh yeah, that guy. I steal from him all the time and he doesn't even make an effort to stop me," he said.

"Maybe he's a hopeless drunk," Marik suggested. Malik nodded in agreement and finally, they came upon the man's home. Malik peered into a window.

"He's speaking with some guards. It looks like he's in trouble," Malik whispered. The guards and the man spoke for a long while, until finally the two guards left.

"They're coming this way," Marik warned. Malik grabbed Marik and hid him, while he climbed onto the roof and lied down. His nose tickled, and he sneezed.

"Did you hear that?" whispered one of the guards. Malik mentally cursed.

"It sounded like a sneeze, coming from the roof," the other said.

"I'll check it out." Malik quickly used some of his jewelry to make it look like he had horns, and he slipped his earrings into his mouth so they looked like fangs. The guard looked up.

"Is anyone up there? If so, leave now! This is private property, you shouldn't be here without the owner's permission!" he yelled. Malik made a long, inhuman noise and showed himself to the guard. The man screamed.

"Look into my eyes…so that I may curse you to live a life of misery and woe!" Malik threatened in a scratchy voice. The guard stumbled backwards, running, and his companion followed, both screaming the word "demon!" over and over again. Malik removed the earrings and put them back on, and did the same with the jewelry. He hopped off the roof.

"Did they see you?" he asked Marik, who shook his head.

"That was insane of you. What if they weren't superstitious?" he asked.

"Then I'd take out my dagger and offer to let them keep their lives," Malik said with a shrug. Marik laughed softly.

"You wouldn't really kill them, though. You're too soft-hearted," he said. Malik laughed quietly too.

"Probably. Well, let's get the goods and get out of here before someone decides to see what the hell went on over here," he suggested. Marik nodded and they snuck into the man's home.

The man was asleep, thankfully. Malik found the man's stash, and swiftly put the jars into his bag. He filled two sacks, and Marik carried the larger one. They chatted on the way back.

"So, Marik, have you finally found your soul mate? Or are the ladies _still_ avoiding you?" Malik asked cheekily with a smirk. Marik unexpectedly smirked back.

"I did find my soul mate, actually," he replied, now grinning. Malik blinked.

"Seriously? You're kidding, right?" he asked. Marik shook his head.

"Nope, not at all."

"Well, then, what's she like?" Marik looked to the sky.

"The perfect person. Smart, sexy, fun, athletic, and even a bit artistic," he replied.

"What's her name?"

"I forgot to mention one little detail, actually," Marik muttered.

"Um, what's that, then?"

"My soul mate's not a 'she.'" Malik blinked.

"You mean that…" Marik nodded.

"Yeah. My lover's a man. Surprising, ne?" He said, looking at Malik and grinning.

"It…well, yeah, it is a surprise," Malik said.

"You don't hate me for it, right?" Marik asked quite suddenly.

"What? Of course not! I mean, you're my brother. I couldn't hate you if I tried," Malik replied, surprised.

"Okay. Just checking." Marik gazed into space.

"Um, what's his name? I might as well know," Malik asked.

"Bakura," Marik said airily. Malik's eyes widened.

"You're kidding! He's the king of thieves! But then again…you are the king of bandits, so…you called him your lover. So you've…you know…done it with him?"

"Yeah. And I'll be the first to say that it was wonderful, even if we had only just met."

"What did you do to get to that level so quickly?" Malik wondered.

"Well, he was injured. A couple of my men and I found him in the desert, lying on his back. He was still alive, but there were vultures there, trying to get him. He was actually fighting them off, even though he looked extremely weak. We shooed the vultures, then took him back to camp. We thought that he'd die within an hour, even though we'd fixed up his injuries and such. He survived, and one day while I was rubbing some cream on his chest, he actually sat up and kissed me.

"After that, we just…had sex. So now we're together," Marik finished.

"Wow. That was quick," Malik commented.

"Why are you so interested, anyway?" Marik asked, raising one eyebrow at him.

"I dunno. I guess that it's just…I've never loved someone before, so I wondered what it would be like," Malik said, kicking a small stone.

"I'll tell you one thing, Malik. It's great."

"Ah! We're back," Malik said after a bit. They heard loud, rambunctious singing coming from where Ryou had been. They walked over, and saw that Ryou was singing along with most of the pirates.

"M' Bonnie lies o'er th' ocean, m' Bonnie lies o'er th' seeea! M' Bonnie lies o'er th' ocean, so bring back m' Bonnie t' me!" they sang loudly. (A/N: Sorry, couldn't think of anything else. –sweatdrop-)

"He's drunk," Marik stated bluntly, pointing at Ryou, who was singing loudest of them all. "They're all drunk."

"Well…Otogi did mention something about 'heavy duty grog' stored on his ship…I didn't realize that they had that much," Malik said. Marik grinned and joined in, as a pirate poured him a cup of grog. Malik sighed and shook his head, and joined in himself. They partied till late in the night, and finally fell asleep.

-

Malik, Marik, and Ryou stood on the banks of the Nile, waving and yelling their good-byes to the pirates. Otogi and his crew yelled stuff like "Thanks for the grog!" and "See y', maybe when we do some pillaging 'ere!" Malik and Marik just had to laugh at that statement, while Ryou just sweatdropped.

The ship soon sailed out of sight, and Ryou held his head, groaning.

"Why does my head hurt so much?" he asked. "And why can't I remember _anything_ from last night?" Malik and Marik looked at each other for one second, then burst out laughing. Ryou blinked.

"What? What's funny?" he wondered.

"Oh, man. Ryou, you were so drunk that you were singing pirate songs! You were even laughing like them!" Marik said, grinning. Ryou gasped.

"Oh my gods," he mumbled. "I can't believe that I did that. I have never been drunk before." Malik grinned.

"Well, you'd better lie down if you want that headache to go away," he said and led Ryou to his home. Ryou nodded in agreement while Marik fed his horse. He lied in the bed and yawned briefly. Malik chuckled and went to Marik.

"How's your horse?" he asked.

"He's doing great. He can walk without flinching now. Thanks for helping him, Malik," Marik replied, stroking the horse's snout. The horse pawed at the ground and whinnied, then looked to Malik. "I think that he's thanking you," Marik said.

"You're welcome, both of you," Malik said and patted the horse's back.

-

Not much happened during the next few weeks, except for the occasional "Ryou screaming and running out of the Nile naked when he saw a crocodile." Marik thought that this was very funny because he believed crocodiles to be docile beasts, and described them as "large, scaly kittens." He even walked up to one and petted it on the nose while it was asleep for proof. Malik freaked out when he did this, although. Thankfully, the reptile didn't wake up.

Malik and Marik also taught Ryou how to read and write. Ryou was a quick learner, he was already writing out full prayers to various gods.

Marik's horse finally fully healed and was running freely without even hesitating. Marik could now ride the horse without injuring it.

"Well," Marik said one day, "I should leave. I've been staying too long."

"Honestly, Marik, if you want to stay another day you're welcome to," Malik insisted. Marik smiled and shook his head.

"No, but thanks for the offer. I need to get back to my band. I need to catch up on all the wonderful stealing I've missed," he said.

"I see," Malik replied. While Marik packed his stuff, he walked into the cave and told Ryou of the news, who was currently writing on a papyrus. Ryou blinked.

"He is?" he replied. Malik nodded.

"His horse has healed, so he'll be leaving today. I thought that we could pack him some food for his journey back home. Wanna help me?" he asked. Ryou nodded and stood, following Malik to the storage room. They filled a sack with dried meat and fruits, then added bread.

They walked out of Malik's home and to Marik, who was stroking his horse's muzzle, murmuring small prayers to make his journey safe.

"Here," Malik said handing Marik the sack. "It's food for your ride home. I just hope that it's enough."

"Thank you, Malik," Marik said, smiling. He and Malik pulled into a brief hug before Marik climbed onto his horse and rode away.

"You'd better take care of yourself!" Ryou yelled. "Don't go petting any more crocodiles! You only got lucky that time that you did!" Malik chuckled, realizing that Ryou was still upset about that incident.

"I hope to see you soon, Marik!" Malik called after him. Marik waved good-bye before disappearing into the distance.

TBC

Mew: That was a short chapter. The next chapter should be up soon, since I have a pretty good idea of what it's going to be about. I don't think that Ryou and Malik will be in it all that much, even though the story is about them. –sweatdrop-

Draiku: Yes, you do tend to get off-topic when writing…

Mew: Yes, I do. Anyway, whoever reviews gets a poster of Ryou running away from the crocodiles. Yes, he is naked in it. Hopefully that will attract some Ryou fangirls to review. –grin-

Yoko: …please R&R! Your reviews feed us!


	5. The Death of a King

Mew: Alright, I admit it. I've been really lazy about this and my other chapter stories lately. Of course, if I just start writing then I usually can't stop. It's weird. Anyway, it took me forever just to start this chapter. Sorry!

Draiku: You'd better be.

Yoko: Shame, shame.

Mew: Yes, if you wish, you may shoot me with a rifle or some sort of gun, especially if you think the chapter sucks arse. Anyway, like I mentioned in the last chapter, this one's mostly about Marik and Bakura, so you might not see Malik or Ryou very much.

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

The Prince of Thieves and the Slave

Chapter 5: The Death of a King

Marik rode through the desert swiftly, trying to escape from a few soldiers that had happened to see him. He glared at them and kicked his horse's sides to speed up. He went faster, then got an idea. He grabbed a small dagger from his belt and threw it at one of the guards. The dagger hit its target, right in the center of one guard's forehead.

The other two guards stopped in surprise and Marik took it as a chance to get away. He kept running until he came upon his camp, where he saw his men waiting for him.

"Marik!" one said happily. "Was your journey safe?"

"Partly. There are two guards after me, but I managed to get away," he said, getting off his horse and taking his steed to water. The horse drank gratefully.

"Really? Shall we take care of 'em for you if we see them?" one man said. Marik nodded.

"Sure, thanks," he said. He looked around the camp for Bakura, but saw him nowhere. He looked to one of his men.

"Is Bakura around?" he asked.

"'E said that 'e 'ad important business t' tend t', so 'e left a few days back," the man replied, looking up from a piece of wood he was carving out of boredom. Marik's eyes glazed over sadly.

"I see," he mumbled and went back into his tent to rest.

-

Bakura rode through the desert until he came upon a recent tomb. He grinned wickedly and opened the door, reading the warning inscriptions.

"'He who enters this tomb awaits a lifetime of pain and misery, followed by even more suffering in the Underworld,'" he read aloud, grinning still. He entered the tomb, watching for traps of any sort. He found a loose stone and saw holes in the wall to his right, then he pressed the stone and immediately threw himself to the floor. Huge spears flew out through the holes and hit the other wall, clattering next to him.

"Idiot tomb builders," he muttered and picked up a spear, just in case. He kept going forwards until he came to the next room, which was the burial chamber. He smirked and opened the many golden sarcophaguses until he found the mummy's body in the center. He took the gold and the various other trinkets, slipping them into his pocket.

"Idiot pharaoh. Did he really believe that he could stop me?" he said, cackling. He found the treasure room and took out as much as he could hold, stringing necklaces over his head and around his arms. He even found a few small golden statues that he could easily stick into his pocket.

"That was one of the easiest tombs I've ever stole from," he said as he left the tomb. He laughed, then slowly stopped, staring at the deep blue horizon.

"Marik," he murmured sadly. He missed that man so much, wishing that he could have stayed longer. But no, he had to get his revenge on the pharaoh's son. He needed to appease the spirits of his friends and family from Kul Elna. He always wished that it had never happened so he could live a normal life.

He stared in the direction of his footprints, which were slowly being blown away. He turned towards them and got onto his horse, then rode back in the direction of the camp.

"I'm coming back, Marik," he muttered under his breath, then he yelled it out loud. "I'm coming back, my Marik! And this time, I'm staying!"

-

Bakura stopped at the camp, noticing everyone's bleak moods. Many were crying and praying to the gods. He stopped and tapped one man's shoulder.

"Where's Marik?" he asked. The man pointed towards the center of the camp.

"Right over there," he said softly. Bakura hurried in that direction and gasped, seeing an inscribed stone. He knelt in front of it and read the words carefully.

"'Here lies Marik, leader of all bandits. A great, courageous man, with strong words and a determined spirit. May he live in the Sacred Realm of Osiris for all eternity.'" Bakura gritted his teeth and lowered his head, fisting his hands until his palms bled. He felt a tear, something he hadn't felt in many years, trickle down his face and he quietly cried in front of the stone, mentally cursing himself for leaving.

He stood and walked over to another man.

"How did this happen?" he asked. The man sighed sadly and began crying himself.

"Marik left one day with two other men. He was ambushed by twelve soldiers. He tried to fight them off and he killed four of them, but one of them killed him with…with a spear, through his stomach. The other two managed to kill the rest of the guards, and Marik, right before he died, told the men to tell you that he said good-bye, and that he hoped to see you again in the Afterlife," the man said softly. "One man said that he managed to do what he loved, stealing, right before he died. In his hand he had the earring of a soldier, and one soldier's ear was bleeding somethin' horrible."

Bakura kneeled in front of the stone once more, crying even more.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, putting his forehead to the stone. "I love you always." He stood and draped a necklace with the symbol for love and care on it over the stone. He left the camp and went back to his horse, knowing that Marik's brother, Malik, should know of his brother's death.

-

Marik rode through the desert swiftly, looking for Malik's home. Marik had told him of the place one day while he was still healing. He touched the scar underneath his eye that Marik healed himself, wanting nothing more than to get revenge for both his village and Marik.

"I swear to you, Marik, I will avenge you," he muttered and prayed to the gods to allow Marik entrance to the Sacred Land of Osiris.

He continued riding until he found an oasis to stop at to rejuvenate. He took a long drink and took a large handful of dates from a tree, stuffing the fruit into his pocket. He then noticed the sun going down and decided to continue his journey in the morning. He spread out a blanket and lied down on it, falling asleep, his dreams filled with his lover.

-

After many days and nights, Bakura skidded to a halt in front of the cave Malik was said to live in. He got off of his horse and walked to the entrance of the cave.

"Is Malik there?" he called into the dimly lit cave. The infamous prince of thieves stepped out of the darkness and gasped.

"You're…Bakura!" He bowed quickly.

"Never mind that, Malik. I come with grave news." He told Malik of Marik's death in a solemn voice, leaving out no details. When he finished, Malik stared into space, disbelieving.

"No," he whispered. "That's not true. Marik can't be dead."

"I know how you must feel, Malik, but I'm afraid that it's true. I loved him as much as you did, and I miss him as well, believe me," Bakura murmured, trying to soothe the crying boy.

Malik let out a cry of anguish and fell to his knees, sobbing into his hands. Bakura kneeled next to him and did his best to comfort the boy by putting his arm around his shoulders gently and patting his back.

"He's gone," Malik wailed. "He's really gone. And he's never coming back! Never!" He hit the sand with his fists. Ryou came running towards them, his hair wet from the bath he was taking in the river.

"Malik, I heard you crying--," he started, then gasped when he saw Bakura. "B-Bakura!" he stuttered.

"Ryou," Bakura mumbled.

"What happened?" Ryou asked, turning his attention to Malik.

"Marik is…he's dead," Malik hissed, clenching his teeth. Ryou gasped, clapping his hands over his mouth.

"Oh, gods," he mumbled. "We only saw him just a few days ago."

"Gods…" Malik murmured, then began reciting a prayer to the gods, begging them to allow Marik entrance to the Sacred Land.

TBC

Mew: Well, that was probably the saddest chapter here so far. I actually cried while writing it. –sweatdrop-

Draiku: You always cry when you're killing a character.

Mew: That's 'cuz I hate seeing them miss each other! –cries- And again, I apologize for being lazy on my chapter stories. And I'm also sorry for making this so short.

Draiku: -sweatdrop-

Yoko: -sniffle- Please R&R!


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